26 



A DISCOURSE 



amongst the curious ; whereas we see it now in every garden, rising to 

 as goodly a bulk and stature as inost which you shall find even in Italy 

 itself: for such I remember to have once seen in his late Majesty's gar- 

 dens at Theobalds, before that princely seat was demolished. I say, if 

 we did argue from this topic, methinks it should rather encourage our 

 countrymen to add yet to their plantations other foreign and useful trees, 



height and bulk than if planted in a dfy soil. This tree in the summer has the resemblance 

 of an Evergreen, which is the chief inducement for its admission into the pleasure-ground. 



3. CUPRESSUS (^THro;D£S^ foliis imbricatis, frondibus ancipitibus. Lin. Sp. PI. 1422. 



Cypress with imbricated leaves, and branches standing two mays. Cupressus nana Mariana, fructu 

 caeruleo parvo. Pluk. Mant. 6l. Dwarf Maryland cypress, with a small blue fruit. 



The branches of this tree are garnished with flat evergreen leaves, resembling those of the 

 Arbor VitiE: and the cones are no larger than the berries of the Juniper, from which they 

 are not easily distinguished at a little distance ; but upon closely viewing, they are perfect 

 cones, having many cells like those of the common Cypress. 



4, CUPRESSUS Cjuniperoides J foliis oppositis decussatis subulatis patulis. Lin. Sp. 

 Plant. 1422. Cupressus foliis linearibus simplicibus cruciatim positis. Mill. Diet. Cypress 

 rvitk narrow single leaves placed crossways. The cape cypress. 



The branches of this species are numerous, slender, and spread themselves all round. The 

 leaves are narrow, awl-shaped, about an inch long, of a light green coloUr, and grow opposite 

 to each other on the branches. The flowers come out from the sides of the branches like 

 common Cypress, and are succeeded by black fruit ; but the seeds never ripen in England. 



The Cypress, in the Linnaean system, belongs to the class and order Monoecia Mono- 

 delphia. 



The manner of propagating the common Cypress is as follows x A warm border^ or well- 

 sheltered bed, should be prepared for the purpose, after having been well-worked, turned 

 over, and mellowed by the frosts all winter. The soil of this border> or bed, should be 

 sandy ; and if it be not naturally so, some drift-sand may be brought to mix with it, and 

 worked all over the bed, at least six inches deep. Having the border prepared, the 

 mould being smooth and fine, let a small part, sufficient to cover the seeds, be taken out, 

 and then let the bed be raked smooth and fine. After this, sow the seeds all over it mo- 

 derately thin ; for if they are sown too thick, the roots get matted together, so that the 

 plants cannot be removed out of the seed-bed into the nursery, without great danger. 

 The seeds being now sown regularly over the bed, riddle the mould that was taken out, 

 over them, not quite half an inch thick. The beginning of March is the best time for this 

 work ; and by the beginning of May, if the seeds were good, the plants will come up. 

 If the month of April should prove very dry, as it often happens, the beds may have now 

 and then a gentle watering, which will help to bring the plants up. After they have come 

 up, if the summer should not prove very dry, they will require little watering ; and even 



